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Team Canada took big leaps of faith with its 25-man roster, passing over a number of sullen stars in hopes of landing on the gold-medal podium in Sochi.

In a Tuesday morning unveiling that was bound to tick off as many fans as it titillated for the coming Olympic men's hockey tournament, the braintrust now has its core group for a run at repeating gold in Vancouver and ending a 62-year medal hex in big-rink foreign venues.

"We all sit there and write down our team," said executive director Steve Yzerman from a podium set up at the Maple Leafs' NHL practice facility. "And then you look back and you go, 'Oh my God, I forget him and I forgot him'. Then you kind of re-adjust. In our position, we've got to make (a decision) and today, we can't pull the eraser out and change a name."

In signing off on the roster (some late tinkering is permitted for injuries), Yzerman's blue-ribbon committee of NHL general managers is hoping that past Olympic experience (11 returnees), NHL familiarity (three sets of regular linemates up front) and, in the case of Steven Stamkos, recuperative powers and medical science, will produce the desired result.

Once more in charge of putting this diverse group together on the ice is Mike Babcock.

"We've been so prepared as a coaching staff since the summer," said the Red Wings head coach. "We'll turn on the lights and plug the generator back in. We'll be fine.

"You take a step every day. If you think you're going to be the best you can be on Day 1, you're not going to be. It's impossible. A little adversity will be involved."

Adding Stamkos, who broke his right tibia on Nov. 11 and just now beginning to skate, was the most difficult choice for Yzerman, who is also his general manager with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"If he's healthy, he's one of the 25 who should be on the team," Yzerman said. "His rehab and his recovery are going well."

Canada opens the tournament against Norway on Feb. 13. If Stamkos, a two-time winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy, isn't recovering quick enough, a reserve can be named before the tournament starts.

But there's no room to accommodate all of the names who felt slighted when the roster was announced, along with those countries that waited right until deadline day. Phone calls to players who attended the summer evaluation camp, but weren't picked, were made late Monday night.

At the top of Yzerman's regret-list of calls was Martin St. Louis, also a member of the Lightning, who has now been overlooked a second time after playing in the 2006 Games. St. Louis said earlier this season that he still hadn't come to grips with being kept off the 2010 team, which Yzerman helped pick.

"Very hard," Yzerman said of his conversation with the 38-year-old St. Louis, unlikely to be asked again in four years' time. "All I can say is that Marty's been a tremendous player for us. This year, with a transition to a much younger group and Stammer being injured, he's been a tremendous leader. That's not a decision that I enjoy making.

"But Claude Giroux, Joe Thornton, all these (rejected) players ... I'm going to have to walk into rinks and see these players as well and I don't feel good about not putting any of them on the team."

While past Hart Trophy winner St. Louis was not included, the brass went with a significantly lower-profile player in left winger Chris Kunitz of the Penguins. Reaction might be that Kunitz rode in on Sidney Crosby's coat tails or that Crosby flexed some muscle with Yzerman to get his linemate picked. But Yzerman insisted he's there on his own merits.

"We talked to the coaching staff about where we see each guy fitting in," Yzerman said. "Chris has been an outstanding player throughout his career. He's won a Cup, he played for me in the 2008 world championships. He's virtually been in the playoffs every year, so we haven't had the opportunity to bring him to any other world championships.

"He's a hard-nosed player, a skilled player. Yes, he plays with Crosby, but he's a great contributor, not only to that line, but to his team, five-on-five or on the power play. They help each other. Ultimately, we asked ourselves, 'Does he belong on this team?' and the answer is, 'Yes.' "

Other pairings at forward included Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry (Anaheim) and Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews (Chicago). Two Blues defencemen made it -- Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo -- while of the Blackhawks' 2010 Olympic defencemen -- Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook -- only Keith is back. Babcock reminded reporters they didn't play together in Vancouver.

The Canadiens' Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban and Pietrangelo make their Olympic debut, while Drew Doughty and Jay Bouwmeester had earlier exposure to the Games in rounding out the defence.

Age caught up to 41-year-old three-time Olympian Martin Brodeur, with Vancouver's Roberto Luongo back to defend his No. 1 role. Montreal's Carey Price will challenge, while Mike Smith of the Phoenix Coyotes beat out a wide field for the No. 3 spot.

Blues GM Doug Armstrong said fans only need look at the absence of recent Cup goalies Corey Crawford in Chicago and Marc-Andre Fleury of Pittsburgh to realize how hard picking three stoppers would be.

"Ultimately, we felt the three we're bringing can get the job done," Armstrong said.

"Goaltending's always a big part of any event. But what impressed me about this team is its size on the wings and its skating. The strength of the team right from the get-go was down the middle. And our five centres (a spot opened when San Jose's Logan Couture pulled out Monday to have hand surgery) are all proven winners.

"I think our defence is strong, I think the skating is important, the (bigger rink) size is important. I like the makeup, the experience of Cup winners, 11 gold medalists and 12 participants in the Olympics before."